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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22868137">Dreamwalkers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinaLuthor/pseuds/LinaLuthor'>LinaLuthor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dreamwalkers [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Byleth and Edelgard as kids, Dreams and Nightmares, Dreamsharing, Edeleth, Edelgard talks about the experiments, Eventually things get better, F/F, My Unit | Byleth Has Emotions, Pretty much what happened to Edelgard while she was with TWSITD, comforting and soothing, spoilers for Edelgard's past</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:46:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,661</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22868137</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinaLuthor/pseuds/LinaLuthor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>We know that Byleth dreamed with Sothis for a long time, but what if she was also able to reach Edelgard in her dreams?<br/>Especially during a very difficult time of El's life?<br/>Set before the events of the game.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dreamwalkers [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1930285</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>292</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Byleth didn’t dream very often, but when she did they were usually vivid and memorable, to the point that she would find herself thinking about a specific dream for weeks on end.</p>
<p>There were certain themes that were somewhat repetitive, too. One of them was a war, an interestingly epic conflict between a huge man and a green-haired woman. Both seemed so poised, the ultimate epitome of what being a warrior must be like, that the girl had grown up looking up to these figures as examples for her battle skills. She had stopped doing so recently, at the age of fifteen, but then her own prowess on the battlefield had become a sight to behold.</p>
<p>Then there were dreams where a child of sorts talked to Byleth. These were often hazy and she could never recall what it was that they had discussed, only the strange throne that the green-haired girl had sat on. And oh, to not call her a child ever, or face her rage.</p>
<p>However, a few days ago a third type had become more and more prominent, even erasing or interrupting the other two. It depicted a dungeon of some sort, with no natural light reaching it. The only source of illumination was a torch placed a little too far from where she was. There were cells all over and she was always in one of them, sitting just beside the grates and trying to make out her surroundings.</p>
<p>At first nothing else happened, Byleth was simply in there and trying to understand what was going on. It took a few nights for the scenario to change, as she was constantly dreaming of it.</p>
<p>She felt more than saw another presence with her in that cell. That was before she started hearing whimpers and half-muffled sobs coming from the wall the farthest away from the grates. Byleth frowned, half curious and half worried at that, then sprung to her feet and paced slowly towards the source of those sounds.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long for her to make out a human shape, completely hunched over and trying to make themselves as small and unnoticeable as possible. Unfortunately, Byleth’s footsteps had echoed off the walls and as she got closer, the person swiftly moved her head so as to look at her.</p>
<p>They stood a few moments like that and Byleth was able to see that her companion was a younger girl with lilac eyes frozen in fear, her face pale, marred by dirt and framed by straight light brown hair. Her stance was uncertain and ready to run if something became a threat. She wore clothing that was very regal on Byleth’s standards, yet her wrists were encased in silver shackles that were chained to the wall.</p>
<p>The whole arrangement made no sense to the indigo-haired teen and she frowned as she tried to better understand it, which made the girl in front of her whimper in fear again. Something had to be done about that, though. And who knew, maybe the kid would help her navigate that place better.</p>
<p>“Hey, don’t worry. I am not going to hurt you.” The young mercenary crooned, crouching so she would glance straight at the girl’s eyes.</p>
<p>No matter what she said, apparently she had moved too fast. The smaller girl shrieked and started crying as she moved as far away from Byleth as possible. Before the mercenary could even think about what to do next, she woke up from that dream with a jolt as Jeralt called for her.</p>
<p>Mentally cursing for being interrupted, she sighed and got out of bed so as to face whatever mission they had programmed for the day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>That same evening, Jeralt and Byleth came back to the house they had been offered to stay in during their mission with a large bounty on their hands. Things had gone better than they had thought, with minimal bloodshed as well. All thanks to the opposing lord surrendering upon seeing Byleth fearlessly slaughter one of his best soldiers.</p>
<p>It wasn’t the first time this had happened, but whenever it did, Jeralt would look at her with a mixture of pride and concern. That was exactly what he was doing when they put their riches on the floor and Byleth simply declared she was going straight to bed.</p>
<p>“What? I thought you would like to at least get something to eat after today.” The man complained, unused to his daughter refusing food or sharing the treasures they had won. “Isn’t there anything here that interests you?” It was hard to say what she would like to keep, for she usually took random items and seldom the most valuable ones.</p>
<p>“No, I’m just tired.” She flatly replied, still walking to her bedroom. It wasn’t entirely a lie, but that wasn’t the main reason why she was calling it an early night.</p>
<p>That dream had been replaying in her mind for the entire day, even during their battle. While that wasn’t really unusual for Byleth, it was the intensity and the details that made her so curious on whether or not she would be able to go back to that place again – and if that mysterious girl would be there as well.</p>
<p>She was certainly a noble or of noble origins, Byleth had decided the more she thought about her. But what would a highborn girl like her be doing in a prison cell? She hadn’t heard of any notable incidents that would lead to a noble family being incarcerated, but then she didn’t have that much contact with the outside world besides their missions. Jeralt never told her much, either, so she could never be too sure.</p>
<p>As the teenager lay down and covered herself, she closed her eyes and tried calming her mind. It wasn’t like her to be anxious about things in general, let alone the content of her dreams, but that was exactly how she was feeling at that moment in time.</p>
<p>Anticipation coursed through her bloodstream at the thought of unveiling more of that mystery. She sighed, remembered how she used to meditate as a child so as to sharpen her mind and help her master certain weapons and concepts and started taking deep breaths so as to calm herself.</p>
<p>Soon enough that anxiety ceased to be and there was nothing. Until sleep took her over and she was instantly transported into a bleak and chilly cell.</p>
<p>Again, she wasn’t alone and sounds of distress came from a corner. This time, they were followed by small murmurs of “somebody please help…” and other laments. Byleth realized the girl’s voice was broken and uneven, either due to distress or her ceaseless sobbing.</p>
<p>This time the teen didn’t hesitate and made her approach loud and clear. Yet again she was met by frightened lilac eyes that widened when she crouched, but she stood her ground.</p>
<p>“As I was trying to say before, I am not here to harm you.” Byleth stated as she measured the noble girl. Did she somehow look paler than before? Her eyes were sunken, that was for sure, and the way she clutched her left arm suggested she was in pain.</p>
<p>“Who… who are you then? Someone they have sent so as to jest me?” Ah, there it was. The way she spoke was too polished for a commoner girl – Byleth had been right about her origins.</p>
<p>“I have no idea who ‘they’ are. Or what this place is. What is your name?” She inquired, glad she had at least been able to get some words out of that scared girl.</p>
<p>“Hm? How did you get here if they neither sent you nor threw you in?”</p>
<p>“We are dreaming.” Somehow Byleth had been conscious of that fact since she had set foot inside the prison for the first time. “I just happened upon this place a few nights ago and then you showed up yesterday.”</p>
<p>“Dreaming… So my head has conjured you somehow.” She mused as tension slowly left her body. “Shouldn’t you know who I am, then?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m very real and not a fragment of your imagination, mind you.” The young mercenary huffed. “And since I’m sure you’re not someone I made up, I guess that means we’ve stepped on each other’s dreams. Or something.” Byleth frowned, even though she had been used to having stranger dreams.</p>
<p>“I would have said this was an impossible idea a few days ago. Before I was taken here and discovered that such a word has no meaning.” The girl sighed and wrapped her right arm around herself, shackles and chains tinkling with the movement.</p>
<p>“So since we’re here, why don’t we get to know each other a bit better? I would love to be able to understand more about this place and how it relates to your reality. My name is Byleth Eisner, if you would like to know.”</p>
<p>After she thought it through and nodded, the younger girl said while looking at her companion in the eyes: “I am Edelgard von Hresvelg, the ninth child of the Emperor. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Eisner.”</p>
<p>“Just call me Byleth, I think being formal here is a little bit too much.” She answered, grinning. “So what is an Imperial princess doing in a cell like this?”</p>
<p>The mercenary regretted the question as soon as she saw Edelgard’s face contort in pain and confusion. “I don’t know! It’s not just me either, but they kidnapped my siblings as well. We are being kept in separate places at night, but I can hear them being dragged around during the day.” Tears gathered in her eyes and she did her best to dry them, to no avail due to the shackles on her wrists.</p>
<p>Byleth leaned closer to the smaller girl and slowly took her hand to Edelgard’s face, mopping the tears that were running down her cheeks. “Who are ‘they’, though? Friends, family, someone you used to know?”</p>
<p>“They are… mages I think. Scientists of sorts. But what manner of scientists would do this to us?” Her voice was rising with panic and, although the mercenary was sure they were alone and no soul would hear them, she didn’t want her screams to wake her up.</p>
<p>“You are safe here, Edelgard.” Byleth said, caressing her cheeks until she stopped shaking. “So you are indeed in a place like this in real life?”</p>
<p>“An exact replica of this cell, yes. At least during nighttime.” She replied in a whisper, not knowing whether to shy away from the touch or ultimately trust the teenager in front of her. What were the odds that someone was actually slipping into her dreams?</p>
<p>But then, who was to say that those mages couldn’t be doing just that? At least until they bid their time and had no use for her…</p>
<p>“Why, what do you do during daytime?” The mercenary asked, but realized the sudden change in the girl’s demeanor. Her eyes hardened and she shrunk into herself again, just as she had the first time they had met.</p>
<p>“How do I know you are not working with them?”</p>
<p>“If I did, would I be asking all these questions? Honestly, if I was granted access to someone’s dreams, I’d get a good dig around instead of talking to them.” Byleth did understand her need for caution, especially since she was in a rather delicate and unknown situation, but it did annoy her that she would have to prove her loyalty.</p>
<p>“I don’t believe you. You are just a mage like the others.” The princess spitefully said.</p>
<p>“Fine, think what you want. I am a mercenary by trade and I know how stupid it is to try convincing some nobles on how wrong they are.” Byleth shot back, somehow angry with that turn of events. Had she ever felt something like that before? “If you do need me, though, I will be over by the door, so – “</p>
<p>“No, wait, don’t go.” Edelgard said as soon as the teenager rose to her feet.</p>
<p>“You have to make up your mind, princess. Am I or am I not to be trusted?” Byleth rolled her eyes, wondering if it would have been better for her to just go back to her usual dream schedule and forget this had happened.</p>
<p>The younger girl mulled on her options for a moment. She could either shun that stranger who seemed to be genuinely concerned for her, and be all alone again in that ominous place, or she could make a gamble and accept the company. If Byleth did prove to be a mage, well… Could things actually get any worse than they already were?</p>
<p>“Trust is something earned with time. So I ask you to not trust me blindly like that – and rest assured that I will not do the same either.” Edelgard replied at last, raising her head so as to glance at teen’s enchanting blue eyes. They seemed to have a light of their own and called the princess into them.</p>
<p>“Agreed. So let’s talk and see what we can make out of this whole mess, okay? And although you might not believe me now, you are safe with me.” Byleth added, enclosing one of the princess’s soft hands with her own. “Tell me more about the last few days.”</p>
<p>Edelgard looked down at the floor as she sorted through her thoughts. “Everything was fine – until it just wasn’t. They came out of nowhere and subdued mother, father, our personal guards. Even Hubert, my vassal and a powerful mage, was simply swept away as if he were nothing.</p>
<p>“At first we thought they wanted power, maybe even money. However, their only demand was the children of the Emperor. That is where we have been taken, some sort of dungeon under Enbarr palace that they have apparently been using for years.</p>
<p>“This was two days ago. No one has said anything, at least not to me, but I do hear them talking to my brothers and sisters sometimes. I have no idea who they are or what they want, but they do seem to be more than just powerful mages.”</p>
<p>Byleth nodded, thinking it over. It was good that she had a location at last, yet the whole story was too vague for her to be able to completely access the situation at hand. It did seem strange that the Imperial family would have been taken by surprise like that, though, as palaces were always very well-guarded.</p>
<p>“No guards alerted you earlier of these people, their approach and so on?” The mercenary inquired at last.</p>
<p>Edelgard shook her head, yet Byleth noticed her demeanor changing again to something more reserved, as if she were trying to hide something. She understood that it was too soon for the princess to trust her, but it would be difficult for her to help if information was withheld.</p>
<p>“I hope that whatever you don’t want to tell me now isn’t a crucial piece of this puzzle.” The mercenary softly rebuked and was rewarded by a small blush creeping on the girl’s pale cheeks. “Whenever you are ready to talk about it, just let me know.”</p>
<p>“It is… probably nothing. I am not completely sure of what I saw, myself.” The princess justified, waving the matter away. “But if I am not mistaken, my uncle was… conniving with them. It is just conjecture at this point, though.” She sighed, massaging her left arm</p>
<p>“Are you hurt?” Byleth questioned, finally remembering she had been meaning to ask that as soon as she saw Edelgard.</p>
<p>The princess’s eyes widened at that and she did her best to try and stop tending to the limb, but it was too late. “No, not at all, it is just something I usually do when I am tense.”</p>
<p>“Yeah Edelgard, and I was born yesterday.” Byleth jested, gingerly encasing the girl’s elbow with her hand. “Come on, what happened? Or will I have to examine your arm myself and try to make up a story?”</p>
<p>“It is not worth your time or concern.” The younger girl said with an edge to her voice and a tone that implied questions wouldn’t be allowed.</p>
<p>“Did they or someone else hurt you?” Byleth insisted, oblivious to her hedging. “Awn, come on girl, just tell me this one thing.”</p>
<p> “Please, don’t make me.” Edelgard’s eyes shone at that and she hugged her legs as best as she could, completely defensive. That was when the mercenary realized she had probably taken things a bit too far.</p>
<p>“Ok, ok, sorry. Take your time with this as well. If a princess had to plead me to stop prodding, then it’s probably not something easy to be said.” Byleth attempted to grin and was reassured when she saw a small smile on her companion’s lips.</p>
<p>Conversation idled after that and they somehow were content to remain in each other’s company. With time Edelgard relaxed her stance and crossed her legs, leaning against the rocky wall for support. It was hard to find a comfortable position in that place, both during waking hours and in those dreams. She wiggled often, longing to stand up, but the chains kept her too close to the wall for that to happen.</p>
<p>Byleth watched and wished she could be of help, wondering what had made her step into someone else’s dream like that. She ended up giving the princess some hints on what she could do to alleviate pressure from sitting down for too long, as it felt like the only thing she could do for the moment.</p>
<p>Not long after that, the dream started to fade and she realized she was about to wake up. The mercenary and the princess locked eyes for the last time and smiled in farewell, before consciousness started creeping in.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things get worse as Byleth and Edelgard continue having shared dreams. The mercenary does everything in her power to help the hurt princess. yet finds herself consumed by guilt and worry.<br/>Byleth confronts Jeralt and her own feelings so as to try her best to aid Edelgard, but things aren't as easy as they seem at first.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A little bit of a longer chapter and this one gets darker, too. I tried not to go into too much detail when it came to the injuries and how they happened. <br/>Also, writing emotional Byleth is interesting, to say the least haha.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It came as no surprise when Byleth found herself in that cage for the third time in a row, when she fell asleep after a rather non-descript day of sword drills with Jeralt and sharing their last mission’s bounty at last.</p>
<p>None of that was able to catch her attention, not even the fact that she had been able to best her father four out of five rounds (she only lost because her thoughts had wandered to the princess in a crucial move, causing her to overbalance and fall). During waking hours, she longed to fall asleep and visit that mysterious location. And she hoped that this time she would get some answers out of the confused girl.</p>
<p>It wasn’t long before she realized things had already taken a turn for the worse.</p>
<p>Edelgard was at her usual place in the cell, yet everything else about her was off. Her face was so pale it looked translucent, her eyes wild and deep purple instead of lilac. There were shallow cuts on both of her cheeks and neck. She no longer nursed her left arm, but feebly held her torso and trembled. Her clothes sported some tears on the arms and legs, one of them revealing a skinned knee.</p>
<p>She was so wrapped into her own little world that she didn’t notice Byleth approaching and sitting down in front of her. It only dawned on her that she had company when the mercenary’s hands were wiping tears away from her face.</p>
<p>The princess jumped and yelped as more tears flooded her eyes. It took her a moment to register who exactly was there and for her shoulders to unclench the slightest – the one sign of relaxation she was able to muster.</p>
<p>“What happened to you?” Byleth queried, flabbergasted and unable to hide her concern. “They are hurting you, aren’t they?”</p>
<p>The younger girl simply nodded, still unable to talk. The events of the day were too fresh in her mind and she was trying to process them, to understand what she had been told and what she could expect for the near future. It felt like too much and she wished she was able to say something, but her throat was clogged with unexpressed emotions and all she could do was cry.</p>
<p>The mercenary wasn’t used to dealing with feelings and the many ways in which they were made manifest. Jeralt was rather cold, but then so was she and the few others she had had contact with had never displayed emotions as brutal and raw as the girl in front of her was.</p>
<p>Unsure if she should try offering words of solace or just give her space, Byleth chose neither and ended up enveloping Edelgard in a gentle hug. At first the girl struggled against that physical contact as revulsion and self-preservation coursed through her bloodstream, but upon realizing this touch wasn’t painful she eventually gave up and relaxed.</p>
<p>After a while she placed a tentative hand on Byleth’s waist, as she wasn’t able to fully hug the teenager due to her shackles, and moved so as to nuzzle under the mercenary’s neck. She still shook with terror rather than cold, but her tears were slowly subsiding and her throat was unknotting.</p>
<p>“Yes…” She croaked at last. “They hurt me.”</p>
<p>“It is okay if you don’t want to talk about it.” Byleth crooned, although a fury she had never known before demanded for information so as to carry out some sort of revenge.</p>
<p>“No, I… I have to. Or else it might drive me mad.” Her voice broke at that last word, but she carried on anyways. “Today they told me why we are here. They are indeed mages and scientist and they have been doing crest research.”</p>
<p>“Crest? What is it?” The mercenary inquired, frowning. She didn’t want to interrupt, but it would be better if she were able to follow the conversation.</p>
<p>“You don’t know what a crest is? You are an odd one for sure.” The princess frowned, yet grateful for the change of topic. “They are said to be blessings given to some by the Goddess herself and they grant many different abilities, so to speak.</p>
<p>“Anyways, these people are trying to come up with ways to force crests into others, namely children. Surely they haven’t told me everything. I mean, why us? There are many children in Fódlan after all.”</p>
<p>“And if it’s the goddess who bestows crests to people, what is the point of forcing them into others? Having more advantage in battles?” Byleth mused, wondering how much of a better fighter she would become if she had a crest. “Are they in need of test subjects?”</p>
<p>Edelgard’s eyes widened at that. “Don’t you ever say something like that. Not before you know the whole story.” After the teenager meekly apologized, she went on. “Yesterday I was taken to a small room and interrogated on the nature of my crest, as I do already bear one.</p>
<p>“They were… a little bit rougher than necessary when I didn’t know the answer to their questions, so to speak. That is why my arm was harmed – they pulled too hard at it, bending at some weird angles and it became sore. I wish that had been the worst of it, though.”</p>
<p>Byleth allowed her to pause, but her mind was already drawing a few gruesome conclusions at the whole matter at hands. “And today… I would say that you were taken for more than just questioning, right?”</p>
<p>The princess nodded, sighed and went on. “I was taken to their laboratory. When me and my captor approached I could already hear my siblings screaming.” She closed her eyes and tried fighting against a shudder, but was unable to contain it. “Every single one of them was there, from the oldest to the youngest.</p>
<p>“They were… suffering. These experiments involve a lot of blood analysis and bloodwork, so the first thing I saw was my little sister’s arm being slashed. She was tied to a chair and screaming even before the blade touched her skin.” Another shudder, this one stronger than the previous ones. “They collected her blood and let the wound open, even though I am sure some of them are healers as well.</p>
<p>“My oldest brother was lying on a hard table, his torso and limbs chained. Some masked mage was hovering over him, cutting his chest in some pattern while chanting. I had never heard him yell before, no matter how much pain he was in. Today was the first time.”</p>
<p>It was Byleth who closed her eyes this time, while moving so as to hold the girl closer to her chest. What else could she do so as to offer the smallest possible comfort? She had no words for that horrifying tale. And somehow she knew it was far from over.</p>
<p>“One of my sisters, the one we used to call Reason incarnate for how logical she has always thought, was left unsupervised. She was sitting by the corner of the room, hands in her head, mumbling and rocking her body back and forth. She had visible gashes in her arms and after today I can only wonder how many more there were under her clothes. I have no doubt she has lost her mind due to those so-called experiments.</p>
<p>“The others were in similar situations. And the yells… so many yells, so much pleading for it to stop, for death to come and give them release.” Edelgard stopped again as tears fell from her eyes. “Death didn’t come, though. And they suffered for hours on end.</p>
<p>“The mages let me watch for a moment and I swear I saw them laughing at me. At how I began to cry and beg them to stop. At how I offered them my life in exchange for my siblings’. At how I tried to run away after all else had failed, only for them to catch me with chains before I could leave the laboratory.” She briefly looked at her skinned knee and Byleth understood at least one of her injuries. “They punished me for that, too. You are a mercenary, so you must know how thin blades hurt, but not immediately.”</p>
<p>“Terribly so.” The teenager commented, tracing the shallow gashes on the princess’s face.</p>
<p>“Exactly. Then they tied me to a chair and declared it was time I joined my siblings as a test subject.” She could still remember how hard and fast her heart had beat at that moment. “They cut my arms and legs for blood, not once, but at least four or five times during the day. The blades they used for this were unnecessarily dull, too. And every time I fainted they would jolt me awake with magic.”</p>
<p>Byleth bristled at that and started caressing the girl’s back. “What type of people are they? It seems like they feed on pain and suffering. Only torturers use dull blades for bloodletting.”</p>
<p>Edelgard nodded, buried herself into their hug so as to search for solace. “I think today was just a prelude for what is to come.” She commented, visibly scared. “But do you know what hurt the most? It wasn’t even being wounded. It was seeing my family so helpless, hearing their screams… Even now, they echo in my mind.”</p>
<p>“Hush, this will surely end soon. There is no way your parents or guards won’t strike back against these so-called researchers.” The mercenary said, inflamed for the first time in her life. How could they hurt children like that? In the name of science?</p>
<p>“I don’t think so, Byleth.” The princess whispered back. “It seems like they are completely in control.”</p>
<p>The teenager kept trying to cheer and help a distressed Edelgard and as the dream ended the younger girl did look to be a bit more at ease. The last thing Byleth heard before she woke up was a soft “Thank you”.</p>
<p>Byleth opened her eyes to find her cheeks wet with tears, surprising her. She had never cried before and hadn’t known what it felt like to that day, even though she had seen others doing it. She wiped at the moisture and jumped to her feet, determined to get things done.</p>
<p>Luckily Jeralt was already up and making breakfast, so she simply leaned on the wall next to him and queried:</p>
<p>“How far away from Enbarr are we?”</p>
<p>He jolted at hearing her speak with such anger in her voice and turned to look at her, noticing how her posture was alert and ready as if to coiled to strike down an enemy. Were her eyes red as well?</p>
<p>“Good morning to you too, kid. And we’re kind of far from it, the Empire isn’t a land with much need for mercenaries like us. Why do you ask?”</p>
<p>“Kind of far being what, one or two days away?” She pressed, oblivious to his own question.</p>
<p>“No, more like a week on foot and a little less by horse.” He turned to slice more fruit with a dagger, careful so as to not cut his own fingers.</p>
<p>“Probably much less on a pegasus or wyvern.” She mused, already walking away and musing how much she would need to spend so as to hire one of these.</p>
<p>“Hey, what the hell are you talking about? No way you are going by yourself like this. We have another mission as well.” Her father exploded, leaving the apple to be cut later and following her into the living room. “What is this, some secret business on the Imperial capital? Care to share?”</p>
<p>Byleth paced, restless. Of course it wouldn’t be easy to get there, but she surely had to, right? There was no way she would let Edelgard in there, suffering by herself. All she needed was a plan of action.</p>
<p>Jeralt watched the whole scene unfold, wide-eyed. When was the last time his kid had acted so anxious, so determined and on edge? Ah right, that was indeed a first to the usually stoic girl.</p>
<p>He didn’t know what to do, as questioning her would probably just make her withdraw or lash at him – there was a fire in her eyes that had never been there before, either.</p>
<p>“There is a group of people seizing control of the Imperial family and torturing its members.” Byleth said at last, figuring it would be better to have Jeralt’s support than to have to oppose him. “There is no way we can let that happen.”</p>
<p>“Hoa, hoa, slow down there. Where have you heard this? And since when do you care about politics and the games the nobility plays?” Could this get any stranger?</p>
<p>“I saw it in a dream. A girl – one of the Imperial princesses – she reached out for me and told me about it.” As soon as she said it she realized there was a very slim chance she would be taken serious.</p>
<p>True enough, her father’s face fell once he realized what had caused that whole thing. “Byleth, it was only a dream. You can’t trust these as an indication for reality. The Empire is fine, it has lived for over a thousand years and it will continue to thrive long after we are both gone from this world.”</p>
<p>The young mercenary felt anger rising through her throat, making her lightheaded with its intensity. She wanted to scream, to make him see how wrong he was by labelling it as ‘just a dream’. However, she understood it would be a futile attempt, as he had already chosen to not take it seriously.</p>
<p>Defeated, her chest clenching in a mixture of fear and guilt, she nodded and went back to being the apathetic teenager she had always been.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>That feeling of guilt only increased as the day went by and they went through preparations for their next mission, a castle pillage of sorts. Byleth couldn’t focus on what Jeralt and his teammates were saying, yet no one noticed since she kept her expression neutral for the entire meeting – even when her head terribly ached and the one thing she wanted was to lie down and rest to see if it got any better.</p>
<p>As soon as they were home she shut herself in her room and went immediately to bed. She didn’t want her father to bring back their argument from early morning, plus she felt an almost physical need to be with Edelgard. Sometimes it was like their shared dreams were more real than the world itself.</p>
<p>She slept instantly, too tired of warring against her thoughts and trying to make plans for an escapade during the entire day. The dream came easy too, almost naturally so, and she had a moment to smile to herself in victory before realizing something was wrong.</p>
<p>There was no one else in the cell, only her with her thoughts and a fast advancing sense of anxiety mixed with dread. There was no trace of Edelgard anywhere and she fretted for a few seconds, until she remembered that the prison was only a dream place and there were probably a thousand explanations as to why her companion had yet to show up.</p>
<p>Minutes stretched into an hour and there was no change. Byleth did her best to numb herself from becoming too worried by thinking about battles, then getting up and pretending she was swordfighting. Being in motion soothed her significantly, thus she was a lot calmer when the atmosphere seemed to simmer, condense.</p>
<p>A body appeared to her right. She stopped in the middle of a forward slash and immediately fell to her knees so as to look at the one who had showed up. A gasp rose to her lips and she felt her eyes sting at that sight.</p>
<p>Edelgard lay on the floor, almost immobile except for her chest rising and falling with shallow, seemingly painful breaths. Her eyes were closed and her muscles slack, as if they no longer had any strength left to do anything. Her lips and the tips of her fingers were blueish, ghastly so.</p>
<p>What really caught Byleth’s eyes, however, was the amount of blood that seeped from her torso and limbs, pooling around her in a rather scary speed. There was no way to tell if the princess was dreaming that, or how well of a projection form reality that was.</p>
<p>The mercenary wasted no time wondering about it. She placed her hands on the girl’s torso and called upon some healing magic, glad she had taken the time to go through some tomes she and her father had received as payment a few missions ago. Sure, she was by no means proficient and could mostly close simple gashes in the real world, but apparently in dreams energy worked in different ways.</p>
<p>It took a few seconds for her to stop bleeding and a minute at the most for her hazy, lilac eyes to open and stare intently at Byleth. The teenager sighed in relief and absentmindedly squeezed the princess’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“You… thank you.” Edelgard mumbled as she started moving around and trying to get to a sitting position. The mercenary had to help her a little, but after a while she was leaning against the wall just like always.</p>
<p>“Don’t mention that. It was the least I could do.” Her chest squeezed in guilt once again and she mentally apologized for not being able to do more. “I would say that the experiments started on full today.”</p>
<p>The princess sighed and nodded, then shook as memory tried overtaking her. “Two of my siblings died as well.” She blankly stated, looking away. “I saw them die. They looked peaceful right at the end.” A sole tear coursed down her cheeks.</p>
<p>“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” The mercenary offered as she felt her eyes stinging. She reached so as to touch Edelgard, then stopped when the girl flinched. “I’m not going to hurt you.”</p>
<p>“I was hurt all day long. Cut open with at least three types of blades. Prodded, jolted, burned and frozen with magic. You name it. It is hard to think that it won’t happen at night too, even if I know you have no harmful intentions.” Her voice rose and her heart gave a painful lurch before beating at triple speed. “I am sorry.”</p>
<p>“Don’t be, I understand.” Yet slowly she placed her index finger on the princess’s hand and watched her reaction, which was just a small gasp.</p>
<p>It took a while for them to finally hold hands, then start moving closer and hug. Edelgard’s eyes were dry, but her gaze remained unfocused and every so often she would tremble. Byleth offered no words, for she knew how trivial it would be to speak, and they remained in silence for what seemed like hours.</p>
<p>Then, tentatively, the princess whispered: “Byleth? Would you tell me about your day?”</p>
<p>“Will it help you if I do?” The mercenary queried, unsure of how to respond since no one had ever asked her something like that.</p>
<p>“Greatly. It will take my mind off of things better left alone.” Edelgard moved closer still and reveled in the teenager’s warmth. She was always so cold, it was a blessing to have her around.</p>
<p>“Very well then.” And she launched upon first an awkward, then detailed description of a day in a mercenary’s life, especially when they were preparing for a new mission. She left out the part about almost screaming at her father for them to go to Enbarr.</p>
<p>“Do you enjoy what you do?” The princess asked once Byleth was finished, visibly more relaxed than she had ever been since she had been cast to that dungeon.</p>
<p>“It is the only life I know, so I guess I do like it, yes.” The teenager replied, curious. Had she ever thought about how she wanted her own life to be like? It didn’t seem so, or else Edelgard’s question wouldn’t sound so odd.</p>
<p>“Would you change anything about it?” She moved away a little so as to look at the mercenary’s face. Byleth’s overly thoughtful frown made her giggle, as it was a big change from her usually stoic expression.</p>
<p><em>Being able to come here at will and free you would be a nice change</em>, the mercenary thought, but didn’t say it out loud. “Not really. It is a comfortable way to live and I do enjoy fighting, so.”</p>
<p>“Fair enough.” The princess nodded, slightly jealous of her apparent freedom. “You were really young when you started using a sword, so it makes sense this has grown on you.”</p>
<p>“Yes, I was five the first time I was in a fight. Quite by accident and my father would probably have yelled at me if I hadn’t done an ok job of getting us out of a sticky situation.” She reminisced, grinning to herself at the memory.</p>
<p>“I would like to hear about it. Another day – or rather, night – though.” Edelgard said as they both realized the dream was giving away to reality already.</p>
<p>They hugged as best as they could and Byleth muttered before she could wake up: “Please, stay safe.”</p>
<p>The mercenary let herself cry once her eyes opened to sunlight and the tranquility of that borrowed house. She tried her best to keep a cool and soothing persona when Edelgard was around, but she could no longer hide her true feelings at seeing and hearing about what was happening to the princess.</p>
<p>She was surprised to listen to herself sob in abandon once she remembered how battered and fragile the princess had looked in that dream. They hadn’t gone in depth about the experiments and what the younger girl had endured, but maybe it was for the best. It wasn’t easy to talk about such experiences, especially when they were way too recent.</p>
<p>Plus, it wasn’t as if her wounds weren’t speaking volumes on how she was being treated. All that blood… Byleth had of course seen and spilled blood before. She had confronted and brought death many times. However, it was entirely too different to see someone she apparently shared a connection with slowly dying like this.</p>
<p>The mercenary had no will to get out of bed and start with their mission. She just wanted to do something about that whole situation – and the mere thought that she was unable to just made a fresh wave of tears fall down her cheeks.</p>
<p>Eventually there was a knock on the door and Jeralt came in, his face pale. Never had he seen or heard his daughter cry, not even when she was a small child, but there she was, almost drowning in tears.</p>
<p>He approached the mattress slowly and crouched so as to look her in the eye. She met his gaze but didn’t suppress her emotions.</p>
<p>“We have to go to Enbarr, Jeralt.” She ordered, trying her best to keep her voice from breaking.</p>
<p>“That dream again, was it?”</p>
<p>This time there was no way to contain her. “It is not just a dream!” She yelled, making him flinch at the intensity of her feelings. “It is getting worse and there will come a time when she won’t – they will kill her!”</p>
<p>He wiped her tears away and sighed. “Look kid, I understand this means a lot to you. Hell, it surely must, I have never seen you in such a state before. But we can’t just go off based on a wild guess like that. How do you know this girl even exists, or that she isn’t just showing you something, manipulating you to go there for some reason?”</p>
<p>“It is real, I know it is. Why would a princess try to manipulate a mercenary? It makes no sense.” Byleth sighed, knowing he was right but also not discrediting her dreams.</p>
<p>“And why would you be sharing her dreams, then? That also makes no sense.”</p>
<p>She shook her head, as both girls were still unable to understand that. “If you don’t want to go, that’s fine. I will.” She declared with new resolve. “I won’t let this get any worse than it already is.”</p>
<p>“You will go to the Enbarr palace by yourself? And then what? Do you really think the Imperial family will grant you free passage when you claim you have been visiting their daughter in dreams? And if your dreams are indeed correct, do you really think you can fight off an entire army?” He jested, wanting her to see the foolishness of her own words.</p>
<p>“I don’t know, but there must be a way to end this.” Byleth retorted, helpless, realizing he was being the sensible one that time.</p>
<p>Jeralt sighed as he rose to his feet. “I can’t believe what I’m about to say, but I can’t ignore that you’re too distressed for my own liking. After this mission we are going to Enbarr and try finding out as much as we can about the situation in there.” He was relieved to see her consider that and nod. “Now get up and wash your face, there is a whole day ahead of us.”</p>
<p>Byleth did as she was told and was extra helpful in any way she could so as to hurry and complete their request. She wasn’t entirely sure that Edelgard would be able to last that long.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Byleth is pulled into a long mission that forces her to sleep during daytime and be active during the night, which means she is unable to visit Edelgard in her dreams. When they do next see each other their relationship is shaken, mostly due to the experiments and the toll they were taking on El.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next seven nights in a row were spent in wakefulness, for their mission was to be executed after sundown. The castle they were to raid was small, yet very well-protected and the security would only slacken off during nighttime.</p><p>This made Byleth seethe, but there was nothing she could do about it except to cooperate and make sure their campaign ended as soon as possible. They were supposed to sleep during daytime and she did so, however she didn’t always dream of the prison and when she did, it was empty.</p><p>Only in one occasion she thought she had a small glimpse of Edelgard, chained to a cot and whimpering in pain. The image faded too fast for her to be sure it had been actually there and not a product of her worried mind, though.</p><p>By the last night of that rather long week the mercenaries were able to breach through security and raid the castle. There was a rather big fight between them and the heavily armored units that guarded the place and at one point Byleth charged head in, wanting to break their stalemate.</p><p>Wrong move. One misstep and she was surrounded by four guards double her size and weight. She feinted as best as she could, aiming blows left and right while trying to back away and not be overpowered. It was working out fine until a lance pierced her waist and she became slower, unable to parry other blows.</p><p>A kick and punch to her chest sent her reeling, wind knocked off her lungs. She hit her head against the wall and had one moment of clarity to see Jeralt hitting her assailants with precise, clean moves. Then she gave in to the darkness and fainted.</p><p>A second later she was in the cell again, her ragged breathing echoing around the closed walls. She felt weak and sluggish even in dreams, her side aching from the lance blow, her head and chest equally pulsing with pain.</p><p>She remained on the ground for a few seconds, letting her eyes scan the prison for the one person that mattered. It didn’t take long for her eyes to meet surprised, concerned lilac ones.</p><p>Edelgard was also lying down, a few feet away from her. She looked battered and weak, but for entirely different reasons than Byleth did. They shared a look and a silent smile, their loud, quick and shallow breaths became synced.</p><p>The mercenary mustered what strength was left in her and propped herself to a sitting position. She was unable to stand up, though, so she ended up slowly crawling until she was able to lie down beside the princess. There was blood around her again and she looked even more hurt than before, which brought a new type of pain to Byleth’s chest.</p><p>“I am sorry I wasn’t here for the last few days.” The mercenary spoke after the princess tried saying something and failed. “Our mission has demanded us to stay up at night and sleep during the day. But I think after today this will be over.”</p><p>The younger girl nodded, then placed her hand on Byleth’s hair with some effort. She no longer had shackles since she was barely able to move around.</p><p>“What happened?” Edelgard croaked, her voice barely audible. She slowly glanced at the mercenary and pinpointed where she was bleeding from.</p><p>“I got too careless and was hurt for it, then fainted.” Byleth admitted with a sheepish grin, her voice also faltering a bit. “That’s why I am here now and not there with my team.”</p><p>“Don’t rush into danger, Byleth.” The princess admonished, eyes stinging. “I wish I could help you, but…”</p><p>“Save your energy, Edelgard, you need it.” The teenager crooned, somehow felt lighter at hearing these words. “How have you been lately?”</p><p>Her expression became guarded and she turned away from her, facing the wall. “The same.” She didn’t elaborate and Byleth didn’t ask for clarification, either. It was visible how much of a toll it was taking on her to just stay alive one more day.</p><p>“I will do my best to at least keep coming here, okay?” The mercenary promised, unsure if she should tell the princess of her plans.</p><p>“Don’t. You are better off having pleasant dreams instead.” The harshness in her voice wasn’t able to conceal some instability, an uncertainty to these words. It was an order, but not really. “You don’t deserve to be haunted like this. It is enough that I am the one to suffer. Stay away.”</p><p>Byleth’s chest squeezed shut at that and she felt moisture clouding her eyes again. She got closer to the girl and hugged her waist, ignoring it when she flinched and started fighting back. Of course those experiments would end up with Edelgard trying to shut herself off from people.</p><p>While rude to force her to interact, it would do no good if she simply bowed down to that request. “No, I won’t leave you alone with this nightmare. We are connected for some reason or another and I don’t intend to cast you out because of all that is happening to you. I will be here until the end – and beyond.”</p><p>Although Edelgard didn’t turn around or retort, she relaxed into the touch and seemed to accept what she had said. As Byleth started waking up from her fainting spell, she heard the princess say: “Thank you. You have become my light in the end of bleak days.”</p><p> </p><p>When Byleth came to, she was back at the house she and Jeralt had been sharing as of late. She was lying down on her own bed and being tended to by a physician she knew well. She smiled her thanks at the healer and proceeded to get her bearings.</p><p>It was still dawn and light was slowly creeping upon the sky. There was no one else in the room except for her father and he approached her slowly once the physician walked away to give them privacy. Her body felt sore, but there was no pain at all in her head or waist.</p><p>“Have we succeeded?” She inquired once he sat down on a chair near the mattress.</p><p>“Greatly so, mostly due to your crazy attack.” He answered with some sarcasm. “That stunt you pulled managed to distract the security so that we were able to subdue them before they were able to notice we were even there. Then we went and pillaged to our heart’s content. The customer was very pleased too.”</p><p>She nodded upon hearing that, glad she had been able to speed up the mission somehow.</p><p>“But please, don’t you ever do that again. Becoming target to so many guards all at once, and heavy armored ones at that? What were you thinking?” Jeralt added. “Or at least warn me so that I can direct a few of our guys to cover for you.”</p><p>Byleth was too ashamed to admit she hadn’t really been thinking at that time, just entirely frustrated at how long the mission had been taking. So she shrugged, keeping her expression neutral, and tried changing the subject. “Did you get us anything good?”</p><p>He huffed, divining her intentions. “Heaps, kiddo. You will have to see for yourself once you get out of that bed.” He rose and walked away, then stopped and asked. “Breakfast will be served soon if you’re up to it. And by the way, have you seen your princess friend while you were asleep?”</p><p>The teenager sighed, remembering their encounter and her parting words. “Yes, I did. It’s… not looking good.”</p><p>“I might be able to get us some horses today. We can leave tomorrow for Enbarr as promised, assuming you recover and are able to make it.”</p><p>Instead of feeling uplifted by that prospect, the young mercenary glanced down and nodded. Their time for preparations and marching was long gone, she knew. She had lost the opportunity to help Edelgard many, many days ago.</p><p>Still, she mumbled her thanks and turned away so as to face the wall, deciding it was better to rest up anyways.</p><p> </p><p>Byleth was able to leave her bed in time for lunch and spent the rest of it with some exercise routines so as to strengthen her body. Luckily she hadn’t taken that much damage - her head spun a bit, but other than that she was fine.</p><p>Mostly she kept herself busy so as to not have to face neither her father nor her thoughts. She had no energy left to dwell on the nature of her dreams and what would happen next in regards to the Imperial princess. All there was left to do, at least for the time being, was to wait and see.</p><p>Thus she did just that and went to sleep with some weary thoughts on what she would find in that cell. Her imagination had not prepared her to what actually happened once she stepped into the dark dungeon prison.</p><p>She had grown used to seeing Edelgard looking too hurt to move, almost dead in a sense, as it had been happening for the last days. It was a shock and a relief of sorts to see her lying down with her eyes wide open and focused, her breathing slow and steady, no blood around her.</p><p>The initial jolt of happiness she felt upon noticing she wasn’t as bruised died the moment their eyes locked. There was a distinct change in those lilac irises, as if they had become encased in ice. Her expression was set and emotionless, such a stark contrast to the scared young girl Byleth had met and soothed so many nights.</p><p>“I did tell you not to come back.” Edelgard said, her voice stern.</p><p>Ah, so that was what she would be dealing with tonight. “And I did say I would be here with you until the end. Must we have this discussion again?”</p><p>The princess’s eyes widened at that rebuttal, as she was probably not used to having people defy her orders. They didn’t reveal any emotions, though. “I am fine now, as you can see.”</p><p>“Not completely. What happened to make those creeps stop just hurting you to actually offer some healing?” Byleth pressed as she paced closer and sat up beside the princess.</p><p>Edelgard eyed the mercenary with distrust for about three seconds, then her face softened and she found herself unable to keep that façade. It was impossible to do so after she remembered their many nights together and how close they had gotten as time went by. She sat up and tried not touching the mercenary, but failed and ended up holding her hand.</p><p>“They said I was the only one to survive their experimentations.” She stated, eyes downcast as emotion finally resurfaced. “So it was better for them to be able to keep me than to lose the entire Imperial lineage like that, right?”</p><p>Byleth’s face fell and she caressed the girl’s hand as a solace. “Edelgard, I’m so sorry.”</p><p>“I hope they have at least found some peace.” She commented in a small voice, then leaned into the mercenary and set her cheek over her shoulder. Byleth’s arm circled her, bringing her closer. “I have a feeling this is coming to an end, too.”</p><p>“What will you do next?” The teenager queried, glad that animosity hadn’t lasted long. Receiving a loathing stare from Edelgard made her feel wrong.</p><p>The princess took some time to answer that. “I have not thought about it, for I was sure I would never survive this. I don’t know if they will have more plans for me afterwards. If they will let me return to the surface, will have me say and do things. I am still in the dark about their real intentions.</p><p>“One thing I know for sure is that I will rid this worldd of them” Her body trembled with anger as those words left her lips. “This will not be allowed to go on and I won’t let them do this again to anyone else.”</p><p>The intensity with which she said that scared even Byleth, mercenary extraordinaire. It was clear the princess had focus and will, which made her a fearsome opponent indeed.</p><p>“In that case, I would be happy to assist you.” The teen said as she felt her own revulsion for these people.</p><p>Edelgard turned surprised eyes to her companion. “Are you being serious?”</p><p>“I have never been so serious in my entire life.” Byleth said, grabbed one of the princess’s hands and took it to her lips. “If you’ll have me, little Lady Hresvelg.”</p><p>Her cheeks turned bright crimson at that. “Hey, I am not little. I will have you know that I am twelve.”</p><p>“And I’m fifteen, Your Majesty.” The mercenary did a mock curtsy that made both of them laugh. “But I really mean it, Edelgard. It’s the least I can do.”</p><p>“I will be more than happy to have you, Byleth.” The princess replied with a smile on her lips. “Once we meet in real life, as I am sure we will, we can start planning on our counterattack.”</p><p>“That sounds like a deal.” The mercenary beamed and was about to kiss her hand again so as to seal it off when something caught her eyes. “Oh… Edelgard, your hair.”</p><p>The princess frowned and touched it, feeling no difference at all. She wouldn’t be able to see it still, but the hair at the top of her head was slowly changing from brown to silvery white.</p><p>Once Byleth told her of it and a few strands had completely lost pigment, she glanced at it and slowly nodded. “They shall be pleased tomorrow morning. I just hope this doesn’t spell disaster for me.”</p><p>The mercenary woke up a few minutes after that and, when she met her father in the kitchen, told him it was better to call off their expedition to Enbarr. When asked why, she replied with a forlorn expression: “It is too late already.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After that, it was more than a week until Byleth and Edelgard met again in dreams. Although the mercenary was always able to make it to the cell, the princess wasn’t there, or would only show up for three seconds with a scared expression and a scream frozen upon her face.</p><p>This of course made the teen worry, but there was nothing she could do about it but wait and hope her companion was doing ok.</p><p>One seemingly unspecific night after a rather idle day, Byleth found herself in the prison again but this time someone had arrived before her.</p><p>Edelgard lay on the floor, thrashing, turning and moving around as much as her shackled hands allowed her to. Her eyes were closed, as if she were fighting off an unpleasant dream within their shared one. Byleth frowned, unsure of what to make of it, but nevertheless got to the princess’s side and started calling her, shaking her ‘awake’.</p><p>She jolted into a sitting position, breath fast and unstable, her eyes unfocused and very dark. It took her a while to understand where she was and that she wasn’t alone, even when Byleth touched her forearms for comfort.</p><p>“Hey you.” The mercenary crooned, trying to bring her closer. It came as a surprise when she jerked away.</p><p>“I… what am I doing here? What are you doing here?” The princess inquired, scared.</p><p>“I was just about to ask you the same. What has happened to you these last few days? The last time we saw each other, your hair was…”</p><p>“Yes, about that.” Edelgard hedged while trying to gain some composure. She was shaking slightly from the nightmare she had been wrapped in – only one of the many she had been experiencing. “They took one look at my white hair and smiled. Apparently that was proof that their experiment had been a success. After some bloodwork I was… released.”</p><p>“You are back to the palace, then?” The mercenary queried, unsure if she should be relieved upon hearing that.</p><p>“Indeed. The only one out of ten to return. My father’s eyes when he saw the mages taking me back to him…” She sighed upon remembering the mixture of sadness and thankfulness she had received from him. “We are trying to make it look like I am recovering from an illness that took my siblings’ lives. Which is good, since I am still not strong enough even to walk around the palace, to be honest.</p><p>“On the meantime I am now being prepared to become Emperor, getting the proper education and so on. It is good, as it distracts me from what happened down here. Sometimes.” She admitted, eventually reaching for Byleth’s hand. “I just can’t understand what we are doing back here. And why I am in shackles.”</p><p>The mercenary thought it through, wondering as a theory came to her mind. “Where have you been these last few nights? I’m not accusing you of anything, just curious. And when you came… were you having a nightmare or something?”</p><p>Edelgard was silent at that, but she knew it was no longer time to keep secrets. “Yes, I was stuck in a nightmare. They are very, very frequent now. Whenever I fall asleep the horrors of this dungeon come back to haunt me.” She admitted. “Perhaps they are even the reason why I can’t come here so often, though for some reason today it happened.”</p><p>“You were having a dream within a dream, then. This only confirms to me how real this whole thing we have is.” Byleth nodded, then sighed. “As for the setting and the shackles, I think they are symbols. You yourself said that bad dreams about this place keep trapping you. Maybe you are feeling chained here – which is no wonder, given what you’ve been through so recently.”</p><p>“You might be right.” The princess agreed, looking with hatred at her chains. “Anyways, enough about me. How have you been?”</p><p>“The same as always, really. There’s nothing to tell, I was simply concerned we wouldn’t be seeing each other again.” Byleth spoke earnestly, then watched as the younger girl blushed.</p><p>“I… don’t think I could keep myself away from you even if I wanted to.” Edelgard admitted, her cheeks getting even redder.</p><p>“Let’s keep meeting in the dreamscape every night, then. Or almost every night.” The mercenary proposed, getting closer to the smaller girl. “We can talk about our days, hopes for the future, about the past… anything, really. Until we meet in real life, that is.”</p><p>“It is a promise, then.” Edelgard smiled and Byleth was shocked by how beautiful that looked. “And please, if you ever see me struggling against a bad dream, like today, do wake me up. You saved me from a really nasty one tonight.”</p><p>“Of course, Your Majesty.” She mock bowed this time and they laughed. “I am sorry about the circumstances that led to us getting to know each other, but I don’t regret meeting you.”</p><p>“As I said, you are the light in the end of very bleak days. I am forever indebted to you, Byleth.” The mercenary waved it away and the two moved closer still to each other. They hugged and that was when both realized the shackles were gone. They beamed at that, especially when the bleak dungeons were flooded by light and replaced by a bright, spacious room.</p><p>“Is that your room in the palace?” The mercenary asked, happier than she had ever been. They were lying on a huge, royal mattress, both undercovers and very comfortable.</p><p>The princess nodded, looking straight at Byleth’s eyes. Before the mercenary could stop herself, she leaned her head closer and pecked Edelgard softly on her cheek. For one second she was sure she’d be shunned for that, but the younger girl simply smiled and snuggled under her neck.</p><p>They stood like that in relative peace until the dream dissolved. For the first time in too many nights to count, Byleth woke up with a very beautiful smile illuminating her face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Years pass, but Byleth's and Edelgard's connection stays there, getting even stronger as time goes by. They are always there for each other in some way and their relationship does change as they grow up.<br/>But are they ever meant to meet in real life?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Around five or six years passed from the day when the princess and the mercenary had made their promise of always visiting one another in dreams as often as possible. It had remained intact for the entire time and they seemed to be able to call upon the other on times of need or anxiety.</p>
<p>Byleth was always there for Edelgard whenever she fainted due to exhaustion and stress, when she had her recurring nightmares or the weight of her trauma got too much to bear. It got to the point that whenever the princess swooned during daytime, the mercenary would feel incredibly tired and need to take a nap, only to find the younger girl waiting by beautiful green fields or her room.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Edelgard was pulled form daytime activities on cases where Byleth was injured and fainted, was feeling too anxious upon a mission (the mercenary’s feelings had bloomed for good after the two met) or had some nightmares of her own.</p>
<p>Although they had tried meeting in real life more than once, something always happened to keep them physically apart. Either they would settle a date, time and place in dreams, only for a new mission to take Byleth very far away from there – or for the princess to be tangled in Empire business.</p>
<p>Never had the mercenary stepped anywhere near Enbarr and Jeralt had been extra careful around her going to that place, ever suspicious she would go back to crying and being unresonable due to what he considered had been nothing more than silly dreams.</p>
<p>As the years went by, they decided it was probably best to stop trying to force an encounter and see how things developed – if they ever did. Neither knew for sure if their connection wouldn’t erode with time, yet were secretly thankful that it never did and actually only seemed to become stronger.</p>
<p>They were earnest with each other and as the years went by their relationship transformed into a romantic one. Their first kiss had been long overdue, they agreed, but it had also been sweet and a memory they would always cherish. After that, kisses, caresses and touches were often traded, although Edelgard admitted she couldn’t stand being touched even by her maids.</p>
<p>Thus Byleth was there one particular night when Edelgard had been very jittery. The now eighteen-year-old would start going to a monastery school in Garreg Mach so as to finish her education – and was uncharacteristically anxious about it.</p>
<p>“It will be fine, you’ll see.” Byleth soothed after planting kisses all over her face and making her giggle. “Soon you’ll be telling me all about this place and how you think your professors are dull.”</p>
<p>Edelgard laughed at that, resting closer to the mercenary as they lay on a vast green field, painted emerald and silver by the full moonlight. “I hope you are right. And you, any plans for the next few days?”</p>
<p>“We have a few missions scheduled here and there. Jeralt has become famous, that I can say for sure.” She grimaced as her workload had enhanced significantly from when she first met the princess. “It’s good though, keeps me sharp on the battlefield.”</p>
<p>“I wonder if you wouldn’t be a better combat professor than someone who spent their entire life secluded in a school.” The princess mused, as she had already taken some pointers on axe wielding from Byleth.</p>
<p>“What, me as a teacher?” The mercenary scoffed. “Preposterous, as you would say.”</p>
<p>The princess guffawed at that and they lay in silence until wakefulness took them over to their respective portions of the world.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It wasn’t long until Edelgard and the other house leaders were taken out of the monastery for drills. It was supposed to be a different, more enjoyable experience than practicing with her classmates at the training grounds, but the princess was incredibly bored. Her professor was way below her standards, to the point where she had been able to master him seven times in a row.</p>
<p>So she decided to stick closer to the other house leaders, who she was getting to know but still didn’t really think much of. They walked together during their rest time, jesting, until they saw something… suspicious.</p>
<p>There was a group of bandits closing in on their camp.</p>
<p>“I wonder if we could take them on.” Dimitri, head of the Blue Lions, mused with a hand on his lance.</p>
<p>“Why not have some fun, right?” Claude agreed, already putting an arrow on his bow and taking aim. “This will surely make our teachers proud.”</p>
<p>“Wait, shouldn’t we at least make sure we aren’t – “</p>
<p>The arrow flew and hit a thug on the chest before Edelgard could finish that sentence. The boys were laughing while a horde of thieves started looking around and eventually spotted them.</p>
<p>“Severely outnumbered.” She completed, realizing it was entirely the case.</p>
<p>“Oops.” Claude offered, then started running away before saying anything else.</p>
<p>“What the hell do you think you are doing, Claude?” Edelgard screamed, beside herself with anger. That guy was for sure going to get them killed. She chased after him, realizing Dimitri had done the same.</p>
<p>Oh great, now they had gone and made it even easier for the enemy to pick them off. Their only chance was to get back to the camp and ask their professors for help, which they were trying to do until they saw one of said teachers darting away.</p>
<p>Fear sizzled at the princess’s chest as she kept running, now towards the nearby Remire Village, a hand on her axe in case it got down to it. Suddenly they reached a gap in the path heading to the village and headed there, hoping to be able to hide from their assailants.</p>
<p>It was there that she spotted her, a few steps away and with a tall man by her side. Byleth, in all of her mercenary glory, holding a sword and getting ready to fight.</p>
<p>Edelgard wanted to cry, to scream her name, to jump into her arms and tell her to keep running, so happy that she was. But they did have a situation at hands, and the indigo-haired woman had yet to see her. Plus, it would look suspicious if it seemed that they already knew each other somehow.</p>
<p>“We are sorry to bother you at this hour.” Dimitri began as the three skidded to a halt. “But we are in dire need of assistance.”</p>
<p>Byleth’s eyes fell on the three students and lingered on Edelgard the most. That was when her irises shone and she smiled, clearly taken aback at what was happening. She took a small step forward, then realized it wasn’t prudent to do so, and tried her best to remain calm as the students explained their situation.</p>
<p>All the while, their eyes were locked. Even Jeralt felt there was something more to that, but he was wise enough to focus on the trouble at hands and leave the questions for later.</p>
<p>They fell into battle mode once the bandits arrived, with Byleth standing in front of the princess so as to parry blows while also letting her go and land some as well. They fought like friends who had known each other for years, so amazing it was their synchrony. Not even her father had been able to achieve that level with the mercenary.</p>
<p>The battle wasn’t long, although it was exhausting since it was almost daytime. Soon the bandits yielded and went away (not before the leader tried attacking Edelgard, which resulted in Byleth almost slaughtering him of course), leaving the students to thank Jeralt.</p>
<p>Edelgard was left thinking of ways she could ask for a private word with Byleth without sounding suspicious when Alois showed up. He was all over the place and beside himself with joy at seeing Jeralt and demanded that him and his daughter would join them at the monastery.</p>
<p>Could things get any better? Byleth and Edelgard shared a surprised look at the knight’s words and were ready to plead with Jeralt if he even dreamed of saying no. Luckily it didn’t happen.</p>
<p>“But let’s go later, shall we? I am sure these kids need their sleep and to be honest I could use a nap after this – eventful night. I’m borrowing a house in the village and you’re more than welcome to use it, unless you’d rather stay at camp.”</p>
<p>The students all agreed to the comforts of a house and they paced towards it, Byleth standing close to Edelgard and occasionally brushing her hand with a finger when she was sure no one else was watching.</p>
<p>Since there were two rooms and a living room inside the simple house, it was decided that Dimitri and Claude would share one, Edelgard and Byleth the other, while Alois and Jeralt would stay in the living room for a chat and nap. There were murmurs of agreement before each person retired to their respective place.</p>
<p>Once the princess had gone in her room, the young mercenary closed and locked the door. They hugged, then shared a passionate and fervent kiss, the first one on the physical plane and yes, reality could get better than dreams.</p>
<p>They pulled away from each other once they realized they had been crying, touching forehead to forehead in silence. There was so much to say, so much to think about, but no words were able to come for a while.</p>
<p>“You are real, I knew you were, there was no way my mind could have conjured someone like you.” Edelgard spoke at last, once Byleth tugged at her arm and ushered them to lie on the bed.</p>
<p>“I never doubted that you could not be real.” The mercenary whispered, tears still streaming down her face. “I don’t understand why we are connected, but I am glad all the same.”</p>
<p>“I am glad too, Byleth. And you can’t imagine how happy I am at finally finding you.” They lay down as they often had in five years of shared dreams, nuzzling as close as they could and sharing body heat. “Please, whatever happens next, don’t leave me.”</p>
<p>“I promise to never leave you, El. Even if I have to become a servant at that fancy school you study at.” They giggled, then resumed kissing just as tenderly as they had in their dreams.</p>
<p>Suffice it to say, neither of them slept. It was too much to be there, to be able to finally touch and sense one another after so many years. When Jeralt came to call on them for their departure, they ignored him and kissed some more for a little while. By then, Byleth’s father had picked up on what was going on and allowed them a few more minutes before the others started tittering and pacing around.</p>
<p>Once they were out of the room and doing their best not to act like they knew each other (and failing magnificently at that), they left the house and started marching to the monastery. When he was sure no one would hear them, Jeralt got closer to his child and inquired:</p>
<p>“Is that her? The Imperial princess you kept dreaming about?”</p>
<p>Byleth nodded, beamed and let a stray tear fall from her eye. Her father grimaced, apologized for not hearing her when she was younger, then smiled and added: “You treat her well and proper, gotcha? I don’t want any Imperial army chasing after us because you broke that girl’s heart.”</p>
<p>“Oh don’t worry. If she does that I will be the one to condemn her to the flames of hell.” Edelgard whispered in jest, as she had fallen back and heard that exchange.</p>
<p>The mercenaries smiled and fell into pace beside her.</p>
<p>“So El, you know that promise I made is still up, right?” Byleth said, trying this time to include her father into the conversation. They would need all the help they could get, after all.</p>
<p>“Which one, Byleth?” The princess queried with a smile, although she had a feeling she already knew.</p>
<p>“The ones who did that terrible thing to you will be destroyed. You will have your wish of making sure they harm not one more soul – and I intend to be right beside you when you strike them down.”</p>
<p>Edelgard ndded, thankful. “Yes, we shall destroy them together. And strive to rid this world of those who want to oppose and subdue humankind.”</p>
<p>It was Byleth’s time to solemnly nod. She swiftly picked up her princess’s hand and sealed the promise with a kiss. “Together, always.”<br/><br/> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ok, so I know this was a rather short chapter for an ending, but it felt wrong to divide the story in any other way. Think of it as an epilogue more than a chapter by itself.<br/>Anyways, I hope you have enjoyed this story as a whole!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sooo, this was supposed to be a short and rather nice story. Until it took life of its own and became virtually too big to be read as a one off. I've kept the original line divisions just to try separating dream and reality, but let me know if it's confusing!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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